PASSERES— FPJNGILL1DAE -CENTRONYX BAIRDI. 258 



CENTRONYX BAIRDI (And.)- 



Baird's Sparrow. 



Emheriza bairdii, Atjd., Birds Am, vii, 1S43, 359, pi. d. 



Centronyx bairdii, Bd., Birds X. A., 185S, 441.— Coues, Key X. A. Birds, 1872, 135.— 

 Id., Am. Nat., vii, 1873, 695 (Dakota ; abundant; breeding).— Bd., Brew., 

 & Ridg., X. A. Birds, i, 1874, 351, pi. xxv, f. 3.— Henshaw, Rep. Orn. 

 Specs., 1873, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 110.— Id., Am. Nat., April, 1874, 

 241. — Cotjes, Birds Northwest, 1S74, 125. — Allen, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. 

 Hist., June, 1874, 17, 27. 



Passerculus bairdii, Cofes, Am. Nat., 1873, 097. 



Centronyx ochrocephalus, Aiken, Am. Nat., vii, 1873, 237 (autumnal plumage). — Scott, 

 Am. Nat., vii, 1873, 5C4. 



The interesting fact of the discovery of Baird's Bunting in large num- 

 bers in Northern Dakota has been announced by Dr. Coues. Additional 

 light is tin-own upon the range of this almost unknown species by its dis- 

 covery in Southeastern Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico. I found it 

 in immense numbers, from September 20 till late in October, throughout 

 the rolling plains along the bases of the mountains, and even quite high up 

 among the foot hills. It was usually associated with the Savanna and 

 Yellow-winged Sparrows, and seems to embrace in its' habits certain char- 

 acteristics of both species. Its flight is particularly like that of the former 

 bird, but even more wild and irregular. It pursues its zigzag course for a 

 couple of hundred yards, and then, suddenly turning sharply to one side, 

 alights behind some friendly bush or tuft of grass. Like the Yellow-winged 

 Sparrow, it is difficult to flush, but seeks rather to evade search by running 

 nimbly through the grass, changing its course frequently, and hiding wher- 

 ever possible, flying only when hard pressed. A large number of speci- 

 mens were secured, all molting, and many in extremely ragged plumage. 

 From their condition, it is presumed that they were not migrants, but breed 

 in the immediate locality. 



During the past season, 1874, these sparrows were met with under cir- 

 cumstances quite similar in character as compared with the experience of the 

 previous season. I did not, however, obtain evidence showing conclusively 

 that they pass the breeding season in this region, though the early date at, 

 which the first individuals were seen, August 16, and their condition, in 

 some instances they being scarcely able to fly from the loss of feathers by 



